Lakers

The Sporting News has you covered with live score and stat updates on what could be a historic night for LeBron James and the NBA.

10 p.m. 10 7:00 p.m. 7, which is 7 p.m. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV. Thunder from Crypto.com Arena will tip off around 10 p.m. - Time: 10:00 p.m. Thunder will air on TNT. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is expected to be at the game as well, as the NBA’s guest. Jay-Z is on hand to potentially witness history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is in the building to hand the crown to his successor. The Sporting News has you covered with live score and stat updates on what could be a historic night for James and the NBA.

LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar don't have a good relationship, that's a known fact, in fact, it's more accurate to say they don't have a relationship.

[Lebron James' strange desire: I wish I could walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup like normal people](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2023/02/07/63e2aa38ca4741e8628b464a.html) [LeBron James](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/lebron-james.html) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar don't have a good relationship, that's a known fact, in fact, it's more accurate to say they don't have a relationship. It was ESPN's Dave McMenamin who first confirmed the presence of Abdul-Jabbar, who won five of his six NBA championships as Los Angeles' tall man. Therefore, Kareem's presence was a question mark in the first real chance that the scepter was handed out. The man born with the name Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. received a standing ovation when his presence was seen on the court and at all times he looked with a tense face as he watched on the Lakers' home screen the points that remained for his mark to be surpassed. That doesn't mean that when the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers.html) and the [Oklahoma City Thunder](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder.html) are facing off this Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena the presence of the inventor of the Sky-Hook is not important to the "King".

After five games on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers are heading back home. They will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday at Crypto.com ...

- Feb 08, 2018 - Los Angeles 106 vs. Los Angeles is the favorite in this one, with an expected 6.5-point margin of victory. - Jan 17, 2019 - Los Angeles 138 vs. A silver lining for Los Angeles was the play of center - Jan 13, 2021 - Los Angeles 128 vs. - Feb 08, 2021 - Los Angeles 119 vs. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has to be aching after a bruising 141-114 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Monday. [NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/#ttag=SL19_lk_cbssports_nba_htw) for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. - Feb 10, 2021 - Los Angeles 114 vs. Both of these teams will be looking to put their recent losses behind them and walk away with a win. Allowing an average of 118.37 points per game, Los Angeles has been asleep on the defensive side of the ball and will need to wake up before the matchup. Oklahoma City @ Los Angeles

LeBron James is now the NBAs all-time leading scorer after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbars record of 38387 career points on Tuesday.

He averaged 20.9 points per game as a rookie, becoming the youngest player to reach 1,000 career points. He scored 16 points in the third to make history. In 2008, the youngest to 10,000. In 2006, a 21-year-old James topped Kobe Bryant as the youngest ever to 5,000 career points. He totaled 7,919 points in four seasons with the Heat. He has scored 10-plus points in every game he has played in since Jan. Between that bucket and the nearly 40,000 points James has scored since, he won Rookie of the Year, four NBA championships, four MVPs, four Finals MVPs, three All-Star Game MVPs and two Olympic gold medals. He went on to score eight straight points for the Lakers, shooting 3-for-6 over nine minutes in the first quarter. "To be able to be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me. "I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful, you guys are one of a kind," James said. "Everybody that's ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn't be me without y'all," he said. He long ago was anointed "The Chosen One."

LeBron James became the NBA's career scoring leader on a stepback jumper late in the third quarter, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record during his 38-point ...

Oklahoma City jumped to a 15-point lead in the first half and hit nearly 60% of its shots. Anthony Davis managed just 13 points, and the Thunder never trailed in the second half. And while James hit his mark, the Lakers took another discouraging loss. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it's very humbling." Abdul-Jabbar then joined a clearly emotional James and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the court after the historic basket. "You guys are one of a kind.

Los Angeles Lakers fans wearing LeBron James jerseys posed for photos in front of a statue of Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

When he took the court for warm-ups, James sported a T-shirt that read "Built by Black History" along with his once-customary headband. James entered the arena in an all-black suit with a gold and black pin that read "Stay present." Not everybody was overly familiar with the Hall of Fame center and his famous skyhook. Now, in a Lakers jersey, he’s set to break a scoring record some considered unbreakable. “He deserves it,’’ said Mike Ballard, who was wearing a Lakers jersey with No. “You can’t take anything away from him because he’s only been here five years.’’

Former Lakers stars and NBA Hall of Famers give their impressions of LeBron James overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scoring leader.

But I think that with him he just has respect for the game. I think maybe from the time he was probably 10 years old he never was overlooked. He’s going to play a lot of years.’ And I walked out of the gym. He has to have a soul. And I don’t think this is the end of it, at all. … People are going to see a record broken that I never dreamed possible. “I knew LeBron was going to be great, but I didn’t think he was going to be like this. LeBron is one of the few that built his own.” Anybody who comes in the game with the hype, with the name the ‘Chosen One, King James,’ he was one of the few players who lived up to what the hype was all about. But I think the most amazing thing is for him to play this long and never really get in trouble is crazy. The five-time NBA champion grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and has known LeBron James since he was in high school. I need to be on both ends.’ So, I just think over time, man, he just took that on.

With just a couple of days to go before the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the clock as far as finding a way to make themselves into a ...

Photos of all the celebrities at Crypto.com arena to watch LeBron James surpass Lakers' legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time NBA Scoring title.

NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 7, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

For Lakers fans and the many celebrities in attendance, watching LeBron James become the NBA's all-time leading scorer was a thrilling experience.

Davon Hill put his faith in James to break the record Tuesday, flying from his hometown of Atlanta to L.A. The only thing he wanted was to be in attendance to watch James break the record. When fans sitting near the top of the arena saw James’ first shot graze the outside of the net thinking that it was good, they cheered, but sheepishly retreated into their seats when they realized Anthony Davis scored on a put-back. Last-minute ticket prices soared for Tuesday’s game as James approached the record. Had James come up short, Hulbert wouldn’t have stayed for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The [Lakers](https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers) faithful wasn’t here to just cheer for a victory. The New Jersey native who flew to L.A. He extended his arms to the rafters, then doubled over, putting his hands on his knees and bowing his head. The longtime Lakers fan cheered the team during the Showtime Era and through the Kobe Bryant years. The two Lakers stars posed for a photo, with Abdul-Jabbar wrapping an arm around James’ waist and holding up one finger. Abdul-Jabbar joined James and NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the court for an in-game presentation. “It’s almost inconceivable almost,” said the elder Rastegar, who bought two tickets for Tuesday’s game for $1,100 two months ago.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet from LA where LeBron James needs just 36 points to break the All-Time Scoring record.

It’s not every night we get to witness history, but tonight could be one of those nights as LeBron James goes for the All-Time Scoring record in the NBA, and who could think of a more fitting place to do it? Steve Kerr’s team shot 52% from downtown, hitting 26 of 50 three balls and had 43 assists in the 141-114 blowout of the Thunder. The Thunder may be floating under the radar, but their All-Star is one of the top scorers in the league at 30.8 a night, he is tied with Damian Lillard for 5th in the league. That’s two decades of wear and tear on his body, mind and personal life, but to be the best you have to put up with the ups and the downs. He went on to score almost seven thousand more points through the rest of his career and it seemed like that record may never be broken until the kid from Akron swept the NBA off it’s feet even before the Cavaliers drafted him with the number one pick in the 2003 Draft. Rumors were swirling around LA of the possibility of a reunion of LeBron and Kyrie Irving after winning a title together in Cleveland back in 2016. LeBron had 8 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second quarter. FT is good and he's 25 away from the record! It seemed like the chips were falling into place, but the Mavericks beat the Lakers to the punch and LeBron was devastated. LeBron in tranistion and he is fouled by SGA. Both FTs are goo and the Thunder lead by 12 again. It would be bittersweet to break the all time record in a game that you lose.

Milwaukee Bucks (37-17, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (25-30, 13th in the Western Conference)

In the last meeting on Dec. 3 the Lakers won 133-129 led by 44 points from Anthony Davis, while Antetokounmpo scored 40 points for the Bucks. Milwaukee is seventh in the league allowing just 111.8 points while holding opponents to 45.3% shooting. [Skip Advertisement] BOTTOM LINE: A pair of the league’s best scorers, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, meet when Los Angeles and Milwaukee face off.

Lakers nation was excited about the possibilities but held him at arm's length. Part of that was the shadow of Kobe Bryant — L.A. was his town, these were his ...

LeBron James is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar could break the record as soon as Tuesday.

Ticket prices for Thursday's Bucks-Lakers game in Los Angeles just became significantly more affordable after LeBron James leapfrogged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ...

James will be the seventh name on that list, and he's likely to stay there for a long time. None of them were, or are, close to the scorer that James is. He'll almost certainly be the NBA's all-time leader in earnings whenever he retires; when adding in the $97 million he'll make over the next two seasons, he'll be past $500 million in on-court salary alone. There are 44 players to reach five digits in two of those categories. — to this this accomplishment for a guy who became a scorer because he determined that's what was necessary to win. On Tuesday, when James was still 35 points shy of tying Abdul-Jabbar, Ticketmaster had a pair of courtside seats at Thursday's game listed for $200,000, not including fees. Abdul-Jabbar held the ball aloft, then handed it to James, the ceremonial passing of the torch. James is behind only John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul on the all-time assists list. Abdul-Jabbar — a longtime Laker and one of many celebrities and sports stars who made sure they were there to see history — became the league's all-time leading scorer on April 5, 1984 and wound up retiring in 1989 with 38,387 points. James outstretched his arms after his 36th point of the night for the Los Angeles Lakers, threw both hands in the air, then smiled. Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please.' 'I just want to say, thank you to the Laker faithful.

But it seemed like one of his teammates wasn't all that pumped when the record-breaking shot was made. I don't know what was going on with Anthony Davis but ...

On a night that was all about celebrating LeBron James becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader, the Los Angeles Lakers playoff hopes took a hit with a...

But the story for the Lakers was the same as it has been all season: James doing everything he can to help them win, but the talent around him coming up short. James did allow himself to get emotional in the wake of his personal achievement. Despite the historic moment for James, the Lakers are still reeling as they try to make some headway into the playoff race.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-time scoring record was passed by LeBron James on Tuesday in the latest achievement of a remarkable career.

While LeBron James got Crypto.com Arena excited on Tuesday by breaking the NBA's career scoring record, the Lakers fell to the Thunder.

In the first half, Westbrook and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy got into their second heated discussion on the bench over the past few weeks. James' co-star ...

Now that James has accomplished his goal, all that remains for this season is whether he and the Lakers — potentially with the help of a pre-deadline trade — can accomplish their collective one. [LeBron James had every intention of breaking the NBA scoring record against the Thunder. It’s difficult to separate the two, as the Lakers showed in recent weeks. But it’s been a talking point for weeks, with James, Ham and the rest of the team being asked about it during every press availability. With players increasingly sitting out regular-season games for load management, along with the increased severity of lower extremity injuries due to the game’s spread out nature, there’s a chance that James’ record — which he’ll continue to build on for at least two more seasons — Lakers staffers compared the anticipation and atmosphere to Kobe Bryant’s final game in 2016 and Bryant’s jersey retirement in 2017. But the Thunder, who used the momentum of the moment to their advantage, separated themselves once again with their ball movement and 3-point shooting in the fourth. With just 27 games remaining in the season, the Lakers now sit two games out of the final Play-In Tournament slot and four games back of the No. In addition to James’ wife, Savannah, children, Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri, and mother, Gloria, he had dozens of friends and family members in attendance. “Our offense, I think got stagnant and the guys, they wanted to see LeBron do what he did tonight,” Ham said. Davis spoke with the media afterward, saying all of the right things about James breaking the record. In the first half, Westbrook and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy got into their second heated discussion on the bench over the past few weeks.

Russell Westbrook and Lakers coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated exchange in the locker room during halftime of Tuesday's game, sources told ESPN.

[133-130](/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401468976), the game was highlighted by L.A. star [LeBron James](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james) scoring 38 points and surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the [No. Ham closed the game with Westbrook, who had 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter.

On the night LeBron James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record, there was beef in the Lakers locker room.

Arriving as a star point guard, Westbrook has primarily coming off the bench this season, the first time in his career, that he has not started the bulk of his games. Westbrook played 28 minutes coming off the bench, finishing with 27 points on the night, including 14 in the fourth quarter. [According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski](https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623380175487393793), the Lakers coach and guard got into a “brief, heated verbal exchange in the halftime locker room.” Ham was reportedly unhappy with how Westbrook lingered on the court after being subbed out of the game in the second quarter.

Tuesday night was all about LeBron James breaking the NBA scoring record, but now it's morphing into something a little bit different.

LeBron debate, but this time with James coming to Charlotte and winning the first title in NBA history for the team Jordan owns. I could end this with a “nuff said,” and you’d get it — but imagine what getting the Knicks over the hump would mean for LeBron’s legacy. LeBron is not the problem on the Lakers, it’s the talent around him. The Hornets are ass-bad and they are desperate to assemble superstar talent around LaMelo Ball. The team is already built to compete with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, and Cleveland has been curiously keeping its 2024 pick in their pocket — which is the first year Bronny James could enter the NBA. LeBron” debate, then what better way that coming to Chicago and winning a title in Jordan’s house? LeBron can be traded in the off-season, should he decide to force his way out — or Los Angeles will have almost max-level money in free agency, should they trade Westbrook. However, while other teams in the conference are making moves to get better, Los Angeles has largely been treading water, with their most notable move being a trade for Rui Hachimura. The way I’m feeling the way my body’s been reacting to me throughout the course of the season I know I can play a couple more years. The team’s grand plan to assemble a championship-winning big three of LeBron, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook has been nothing short of disastrous. Davis has been brilliant when available, but routinely injured since joining the Lakers — while Westbrook has been a shadow of his former self over the last two years, and perennially in trade rumors. Not “the Lakers,” not “this group of guys,” but anyone.

With the clock ticking down to the NBA trade deadline, it appears as though there's a bit of drama in Los Angeles. At halftime of the Lakers' 133-130 loss ...

For what it's worth, this isn't the first time that Westbrook has clashed with a Lakers coach. Ham moved Westbrook to the bench earlier this season, a move he has accepted, if not embraced. It's worth wondering if this situation will provide the Lakers with any added motivation to get a deal done. Westbrook scored 14 points in that final frame, but it wasn't enough to propel the Lakers to a win. The exchange was the result of Ham expressing frustration with Westbrook for lingering on the court after being subbed out in the second quarter. The exchange between the two didn't result in any sort of playing time-related discipline for Westbrook, as he played nearly 15 minutes in the second half of the contest against Oklahoma City, including seven minutes and 48 seconds in the fourth quarter.

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham reportedly were involved in a “brief, heated verbal exchange” at halftime in the locker room during Tuesday ...

LeBron James got the scoring record Tuesday, but all was reportedly not well among the Lakers vs. the Thunder.

Lake Show Life's Jason Reed came up with a trade proposal that would send a benched Lakers starter to the Boston Celtics for picks and salary filler.

Two future second-rounders would be great value for Walker if L.A. Boston is looking for wing help behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Walker is no longer the starter in Tinseltown due to knee issues that have persisted throughout his five-year career split between San Antonio and L.A. Reed suggests the Lakers pull off a deal with Boston that’d see the Cs absorb Walker into the fold while sending out two future second-round picks and Justin Jackson:

The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be celebrating the historic achievement LeBron James managed to accomplish on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City ...

Who knows, but the easiest way to potentially avoid that scenario would involve Westbrook getting moved ahead of the trade deadline in an effort to bring back another player who can help James and Davis in the way that he is currently unable to. It’s not hard to see, even on the outside, that Westbrook’s standing in the Lakers locker room isn’t the best, and keeping him past the trade deadline would be catastrophic. Trading Westbrook isn’t a particularly good move, but they can maximize their championship chances by attaching both of their tradeable first-rounders in an effort to get another star to pair up with James and Davis. Truth be told, it probably makes more sense for the Lakers to simply hold onto Westbrook and let him leave at the end of the season, but the real problem the front office is dealing with is saving public face. That could force them to move Westbrook and draft picks in an effort to bring back a player who is capable of helping this team go on a playoff run this season. And with the trade deadline right around the corner, it feels like it’s time for the Lakers to go all in and move Westbrook.

LeBron James got the scoring record, but all was reportedly not well among the Lakers.

Although they couldn't imagine a time where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not No. 1 on the list, several standouts from L.A.'s 1980s teams support the NBA's new ...

“If you took away his sky-hook, he would spin the other way for turnaround jump shots. “If you took away his left shoulder, he would just pivot and go the other way,” Thompson said. The only way you might be able to get it is if you got behind him. LeBron is the greatest from this era. Kareem is the greatest from my era. “He had the size and talent to step right into the NBA, and he immediately started to have his effect. “We always thought he was strange with doing yoga,” Thompson said. “Magic was screaming at me to get him the ball,” McAdoo said, chuckling. “Kareem is the greatest from my era. But they weren’t staying as long as 38 or 40 years of age to chase the record.” You have to give him credit for the way he’s played to last and dominate.” So did Magic Johnson, who hugged James shortly after he broke Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record in the third quarter.

The Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers.

That would give the Wolves much more flexibility to work with in trades and roster construction moving forward, in addition to landing a player they believe would be a big help for the stretch run. And now, that’s one more quiver in the bow for this offseason and in offseasons to come. [John Wall](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/john-wall-Hi3iaXUQCSafuGlJ/) to be. Plus, [Paul George](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1/) has supported Westbrook throughout his rough times with the Lakers. And on a team that hopes to have another player who takes a lot of shots in Karl-Anthony Towns returning sometime after the All-Star break, bringing a more classic quarterback to help run the offense could help smooth things out. It took the Wolves months to figure out how to tinker with the offense after losing Beasley’s volume 3-point shooting in the Gobert trade last summer. Conley and Gobert played together in Utah and built a pick-and-roll synergy that, to this point, Russell and Gobert have not been able to develop. The need for improved guard play pushed the team to be involved in trade talks for [Kyrie Irving](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD/) from Brooklyn before [he was dealt](https://theathletic.com/4158002/2023/02/05/kyrie-irving-trade-nets-mavericks/) to the [Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/) on Monday. The Lakers improved their roster and didn’t have to empty their asset cupboard. [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/) trade deadline. The situation had become untenable over the past week or so, multiple team and league sources close to the situation told The Athletic. He averaged 14.3 points and 4.0 assists per game with the Lakers in his first two seasons in the league before being traded in 2016.

The get-in price for Thursday's contest stands at just $100 after peaking at $796 before James' historic night — an astounding 87% drop.

Bucks on Thursday was pacing to be one of the most expensive games on record, if not the most expensive,” TickPick brand manager Kyle Zorn said in an email. Those who pulled the trigger on tickets before Tuesday night are probably having buyer’s remorse Wednesday — especially one fan who purchased two courtside tickets for $24,781 a piece — adding up to an astounding $49,562. Before Tuesday night, one couldn’t purchase tickets in the 100 level for less than $1200; now, 100-level seats are going for as low as $253 — a 78% discount for those who waited.

In order to understand the breaking trade news delivered by The Athletic's Shams Charania, we need to know what happened last night during halftime of the ...

[LeBron James](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2023/02/08/63e3debb22601d42668b461c.html) was the main story of the night, which may be a reason this story was mostly ignored. D'Angelo Russell was an All-Star in 2019 and his performances have the Minnesota Timberwolves in ninth place of the Western Conference. But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported coach Darvin Ham and [Russell Westbrook](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2023/02/05/63df815a22601df32f8b45ad.html) had a heated argument right before halftime of the game. [Lakers](https://www.marca.com/en/basketball/nba/los-angeles-lakers.html?intcmp=MENUPROD&s_kw=en-nba-los-angeles-lakers), Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and draft compensation such as a first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. Considered one of the 2015 Class most talented players, Russell eventually left to play for the Brooklyn Nets' exciting project in 2017. Ongoing discussions have included Utah's Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt as part of the potential three-team deal to the Lakers, sources said.

With the Lakers outside of playoff position just before the trade deadline, the organization is reportedly in talks over a major deal that would land a trio ...

LeBron James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record in the third quarter of the Lakers loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles. On hand for the ...

The Lakers have agreed to a deal to land point guard D'Angelo Russell in a three-team trade involving the Timberwolves and Jazz, sources said.

His 41.7% shooting is in the bottom 10 among players averaging at least 12 field goal attempts this season. Westbrook can still fill up the stat sheet in his 15th NBA season; he's one of just six players to have at least four triple-doubles this season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. 2 overall by the team in the 2015 NBA draft and played two seasons for Los Angeles before being traded to the ends less than two years after the Lakers acquired the former MVP in the hopes of vaulting the franchise back into title contention. [Donovan Mitchell](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3908809/donovan-mitchell) and [Rudy Gobert](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032976/rudy-gobert) era in Utah and has helped lead the Jazz to a surprising spot in the play-in race. He's also finishing at an elite rate -- his 65.4% shooting on layups and dunks this season ranks in the top 10 among guards (minimum 125 field goal attempts). If the Lakers' pick to the Jazz is not conveyed in 2027 -- if it falls into the top four -- the pick immediately converts to a 2027 second-round pick, sources told ESPN's Zach Lowe. [LeBron James](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james) and [Anthony Davis](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6583/anthony-davis) led to the Lakers missing the postseason last year and have them in danger of doing the same this season. This will be Russell's second stint with the Lakers. Westbrook's tenure in L.A. [Los Angeles Lakers](/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers) have agreed to a deal to land [Minnesota](/nba/team/_/name/min/minnesota-timberwolves)'s [D'Angelo Russell](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3136776/dangelo-russell), [Malik Beasley](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3907822/malik-beasley) and [Jarred Vanderbilt](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278077/jarred-vanderbilt) in a three-team trade also involving the [Utah Jazz](/nba/team/_/name/utah/utah-jazz), sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a three-team trade ahead of the NBA's Feb. 9 deadline, per ESPN's.

While he's had an up-and-down season, Russell averaged 17.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 54 games for Minnesota this season while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from deep. As for the Jazz, they get a primary ball-handler in Westbrook, who had been playing as L.A.'s sixth man this season. Additionally, Toscano-Anderson and Jones give Utah some more depth at small forward and center. The Timberwolves are also adding Alexander-Walker for depth at shooting guard. Adding Beasley gives the Lakers some more depth at shooting guard. some more depth on the wings. Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 52 games with the Purple and Gold while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 29.6 percent from deep. He averaged 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 36 games for the Jazz this year while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor and 40.2 percent from deep. As for Vanderbilt, he gives L.A. In 52 games with Utah this season, he averaged 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep. Additionally, "Minnesota gets 2024 lesser of Washington-Memphis second round pick and 2025 and 2026 second-round picks via Utah," per Utah is landing Russell Westbrook and L.A.'s 2027 top-four-protected first-round pick.

The Lakers are reportedly trading Russell Westbrook to Utah and reacquiring guard D'Angelo Russell from Minnesota in a three-team, eight-player deal.

The Wolves eventually acquired Russell at the deadline in February 2020 and teamed him with his draft-class pal, Karl-Anthony Towns. The 35-year-old Conley is averaging 10.7 points and 7.7 assists in his fourth season with Utah. The Russell-Towns pairing never really took off, in part because of injuries for each player that often kept them from being on the court at the same time. His style on both ends of the court also could complement James and Davis better than Westbrook, although the Lakers will have little time to figure it out. The 34-year-old Westbrook is making about $47m in the final year of his contract. The Lakers fell to 25-30 on Tuesday while

Here are our instant grades for the three-team blockbuster that beefs up the Lakers' playoff chances.

This deal reunites him with Rudy Gobert after the two starred on the Jazz the last few seasons. The Clippers and Bulls are if it falls into the top-4 -- the pick immediately converts to a 2027 2nd round pick, sources say. At the time of this trade, Utah would enter the lottery at No. It’s pretty hard to believe Jazz top executive Danny Ainge didn’t get the Lakers to unprotect the pick. Utah’s relative success this season was always a nice surprise, but it didn’t help the franchise achieve their long-term goals. It’s remarkable the Lakers were able to upgrade three rotation spots while giving up just one future first round pick five years from now that is still protected inside the top-4. 2 overall in the 2015 [NBA Draft](https://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft) — gives the Lakers a guard with a dribble-pass-shoot skill set even if there have long been questions about his defense and scoring efficiency. 13 in the Western Conference. [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.silverscreenandroll.com) finally pulled off the trade they have been waiting to make all year. The only question is if they waited too long to make it with the team currently at 25-30 overall and No.

Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star, would head to Utah after not fitting smoothly with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Minnesota's D'Angelo Russell will return ...

He is a more traditional point guard than Russell and may fit better next to Anthony Edwards, the [third-year guard](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/edwaran01.html) who has emerged as a franchise player for the Timberwolves. The Lakers traded him to the Nets in 2017, before his third season. Russell’s replacement in Minnesota would be Conley, who started 42 games at point guard for the surprisingly resilient Jazz this season. The Jazz will mark Westbrook’s fifth team in five years, an unusual level of movement for a former M.V.P. The Washington Wizards traded Westbrook to the Lakers before the 2021-22 season, giving the Lakers high hopes that he would be part of a so-called superteam with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Only months into the 2019-20 season, Golden State traded him to the Timberwolves, where he played alongside his close friend Karl-Anthony Towns. The Westbrook trade will also send to the Jazz forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center Damian Jones and a first-round pick in the 2027 draft. Crucially for the Lakers, he will provide another shooter as they attempt to salvage their season: He is shooting 39.1 percent from deep this season. That, along with his below-average perimeter shooting, sunk the chances of him fitting with James and Davis. Westbrook averaged 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game off the To acquire Westbrook, the Lakers traded multiple players who were crucial to their championship run in 2020. But in Los Angeles, Westbrook struggled to adjust to coming off the bench and not being the primary ballhandler.

Impatience is apparently a virtue for a handful of NBA teams. Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets agreed on a Kyrie Irving trade.

and alongside the league's all-time leading scorer has to be intriguing. The Jazz have drastically outperformed expectations to this point of the season. And in the same campaign, Conley threw [100](https://www.pbpstats.com/assist-combo-summary/nba?Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason) assists to the big man, more than twice as many as the next-highest teammate. And of course, D-Lo isn't the only player headed to the Lakers who'll help. Sure, there has to be some personal responsibility for his game, but L.A.'s front office should've known it was acquiring someone who'd been in the league and dominated the ball since 2008. The opportunity to play for L.A. This deal signifies that the team isn't ready to cut bait on him, though. Everything since has been underwhelming, at best, though there's still some time before the deadline. But the fit with him, LeBron James and Anthony Davis has been awful from the jump—as most predicted. Both of those numbers would be single-season career highs for Westbrook, and he's nowhere near those marks in 2022-23. Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets agreed on a Kyrie Irving trade. The obvious winner here is L.A., but it's not the only one.